Al-Shorta Club succeeded in securing a ticket to the semi-finals of the Iraq Cup after a thrilling and difficult victory over its rival Al-Talaba in a penalty shootout with a score of (4-1), in a match held at the Al-Shab Stadium this evening, as part of the quarter-final round of the tournament. 

Despite the calm that dominated the first half, excitement erupted at the beginning of the second half when Nigerian professional player Abdul Majid Bou Bakr opened the scoring for the Green Lyre in the 50th minute, taking advantage of a precise pass inside the penalty area that ended the team's goal drought.

With Al-Shorta pressing and attempting to double the score, the decisive turning point came in the 60th minute when player Ahmed Zizo received a second yellow card and was sent off, putting his team in a difficult position to complete the match with ten players.

This numerical disadvantage gave Al-Talaba a strong boost, as they began to press hard on Al-Shorta's defense, managing to equalize in the 77th minute through striker Austin Amoto, who took advantage of a moment of slack to score the equalizer, bringing the match back to square one.

The match continued with exchanged attempts and missed opportunities, without either team able to break the tie in regular and extra time, leading to a penalty shootout that favored the sons of coach Moamen Suleiman, thanks to the remarkable performance of goalkeeper Ahmed Basel, who brilliantly saved two penalties, giving Al-Shorta the advantage with a score of (4-1).

With this victory, Al-Shorta continues its campaign to defend its title after being crowned champions for the first time in its history last season, and it is set for a fiery encounter in the semi-finals against Zakho, in a highly anticipated match full of excitement, especially since Zakho is considered one of the strongest teams of the current season and possesses distinguished players and an experienced coach.

Al-Shorta's journey towards the domestic double continues successfully, but the road will not be easy against the ambitions of the remaining teams in the golden square, and all eyes are now on the upcoming summit against the sons of the Khabur.